Treatment apparatus for cloth and like sheet material and equipped with means for shutting of the treatment fluid



4 9 9 6 6 6 .0 2 T E W R mm ms L N w D M F NMT Jan. 26, 1954 DUNGLER TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR CLOTH A MATERIAL AND EQUIPPED WITH SHUTTING OFF THE TREATMEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1950 1% Vy k/ 4/ A A I; a A W A A M f H Q T y J, fl v 0/ a a AZ #7 It Ii Ill! w w w f O \V n\\.. 2 k m 2 1, I f w z u m W A A a g M 4 z 5 J J 7 w. m H m m HEW J l J W w mam m 4 4 7 1 a W u d f A m W r H I w m mm H. 270, F. a m

i'ofeed mater- Patented Jan. 26, 1954 TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR CLOTH AND LIKE SHEET MATERIAL. AND: EQUIPPED WITH MEANS TREATMENT FLUID .l'ulien Dungler; Basel; Switzerland ApplicationJune 7', 1950, SeriatN'o; 166,732 Claims priority, application France April 25, 1950 1 5. The present invention relates to machines for the treatment of elongated products, such as fabrics or other sheet or web materials, in open width and by a continuous process involving the discharge of a fluid upon the surface thereof, such as machines for the drying of fabrics, for the steaming and fixing of colors,wetc;

It is an object of the invention to provide 10' Claims. (CI. 34-45)? means preventing prolonged and harmful action of the treatment fluid upon the web material in the event of interruption of the feed thereof resulting in a temporary immobilization of the material during passage thereof through the machine.

Modern, high-emciencymachines of the char acter referred to,v in particular, drying machines utilizing superheated steam asthe treatment fluid, operate at such elevatedtemperatures that the treated web material, passing rapidly through the machine, is in 7 damaged by any instantaneous interruption of feed prolonging the intense mechanical and thermal eiiect of the fluid thereupon. If the machine under consideration is, for: example,- adrier following'a printing machine; interruptions of feed of the treated product are practically inevitable, since the printing machine will not be able to rotate continuously Without necessitating adjustments or corrections: It becomes, therefore, imperative to take precautions whereby, in accordance-with the object" set forth above,

harmful action of the-treatment fluid upon the product will be prevented; I

It may be thought that the simplest way of preventing such harmful action would be to" arrest temporarily the operation of the fluid discharge means; such a course is, however, not economical and, moreover, quite unreliable in asmuch as both the de-activationandthe re,- activation of the fluid projecting means requires a certain time. interruption of fluid discharge willnot insure the safety of the fabric or other material since the hot and humid atmosphere in the treatment chamber may suffice to work damage on prolonged exposure.

Accordingly; it is another object of this in-- vention to provide means facilitating blocking of the passage of treatment fluid toward the sheet material or like product under treatment,

thereby temporarily withholding this product from the action of the fluid discharge means,

although the function of the latter is still con tinued. I

It is also an object of the present invention danger of being Furthermore, even the FDR SHUTTING- OFF THE chamber simulof further treatblocking shutters and the disposition: of. the

iatter in certain of said; exhaust channels, the discharge nozzles being arranged in spaced relatioir to each other and to said exhaust channel orchannels.

It is still another feature of the invention to provide means affording the operation of the fluid-blocking shutters relatively to fixed partitions which contribute to the separation of the fluid biower'means from the material or product under treatment.

It is' still a further feature oi the invention to provide means ensuring automatic actuation ofthe blocking shutters and/or exhaust devices upon interruption ofthe feed of the material or product under treatment and. return of said shutters and devices to inactive position upon the, product resuming the movement along its path through the machine.

According tosti'll another feature of the in vention, the inactivation of the exhaust means may automatically cause the momentary injection of supplementary treatment fluid into the machine, for the purpose of driving any air (which has entered) therefrom and of compensating for fluid losses of the exhaust devices, this supplementary in-' jection being preferably controlled by means responsive to the air content of the atmosphere inside the treatment chamber.

According to yet a further feature of the invention, the fluid blocking shutter blower nozzles and the treated product.

According to a still further feature of the invention, the blocking devices may consist of individual shutters, respectively, associated with each" blower nozzle, these individual shuttersbeing preferably interconnected for actuation by a common control device,

enabling the rapid partial or of the working during thev operation.

or shutters may comprise a flexible strip impermeable'to the. fluid; the strip" being normally wound up at a suitable location and adapted to be unwound, when desired, for interposition between the According to yet another feature of the invention, the blocking shutters may be arranged in such manner as to be operable to stop the passage of fluid between the discharge nozles and the blower or blowers supplying fluid thereto while simultaneously opening a bypass so that circulation of the atmosphere inside the treatment chamber may continue and remain uninterrupted.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a drying machine according to the invention, taken on the line II of Fig.2;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, showing a different embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view, in longitudinal cross-section, of the machine shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an individual nozzle member provided with blocking means representing another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section, similar to that of Fig. 4, through a plurality of nozzle members as shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 shows a modified arrangement including shutter means associated with a blower.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, there is disclosed a drying machine using as treatment fluid superheated steam or vapor. This machine comprises a thermally insulated chamber l with a blower box 2 therein, which is supplied with said treatment fluid by a fan or blower 3, the latter discharging this fluid with high velocity by means of outlets 4a of individual nozzle members 4 upon an elongated sheet material, such as a fabric, cloth and like product, adjacent nozzle members 4 having elongated exhaust channels 5 therebetween.

The material or product 6 to be dried, for example a strip of fabric, moves continuously and l in open width past the outlets 4a of the nozzles 4, the distance between these outlets and the material being relatively small. The aforesaid material enters the chamber I by an entrance slot 1 and leaves it by an exit slot 8. During its passage through the chamber I the fabric material 6 is guided by and past spaced supporting or guide roller means 9.

In accordance with the invention, shutters I6 and II (of sheet metal or any other suitable material) are adapted to be slid between the nozzles 4 and the fabric 6. The edges of the shutters lIl, II facing each other overlap, as shown at I2, in closed position of the shutters (Fig. 2). In addition, the fluid blocking means or shutters I and II cooperate with fixed lateral partitions I3, I3a and end partitions Ill, I la, thus completely sealing off the chamber portion surrounding the nozzle members 4 and, which also contains the blower box 2, from the lower chamber portion containing the fabric and the guide means 9 therefor. Lodgements 41, 41a extending in and beyond the chamber walls adjacent the lateral partitions I3, I3a, are adapted to receive the ends of said fluid blocking means or shutters II), II when the latter are retracted into inoperative position in the manner to be described hereinafter.

The slidable shutters Iii and II are connected by means of arms I5, Ia to operable means comprising a pair of tapped sleeves I6, 18a cooperatfected by drive means for iii) ing with oppositely threaded spindles H and I8, respectively. These spindles are journaled at their inner extremities in a common bearing I9 and at their outer extremities in bearings 48, 58a provided adjacent the side walls of chamber I.

As seen in Fig. 1, the shutters I0 and II are additionally supported by guiding elements consisting of spaced arms 20 integral with internally smooth sleeves which slide upon transverse rods 22. It will be noted that the aforesaid operable means such as 15, I6, I! as well as the guide means 26, 2i, 22 are located in certain of the exhaust channels 5 separating the discharge nozzles 4.

Control of the threaded spindles II, I8 is efcontinuously rotating pulleys 25, 25a, respectively, a suitable motor (not shown) serving to constitute such drive means connected, by means of belts or the like, with pairs of oppositely rotating pulleys 23, 2d and 23a, 24a, respectively. Pulleys 23, 24 normally rotate idle on the spindle Il', pulleys 23a, 24a rotating in similar manner on the spindle I8. One or the other pulley of each pair may be selectively coupled to the respective spindle by means of magnetic clutch means 26, 26a controlled from a clutch control circuit 49 as shown for the clutch 28 connected thereto over a lead 52. A switch 58, used to disconnect power from the feed motor (not shown) whenever necessary, also actuates the control circuit 49 via a lead 5|, in such manner that sleeves I6, Ifia are driven toward each other when the motor circuit is broken and are driven away from each other when power is again connected to the feed motor.

The threaded spindle I8 also carries a pulley 2'I entraining, by means of a belt or the like, another pulley 28 fixed to a threaded spindle 29 for rotation therewith; spindle 29 cooperates with a tapped bore provided in a panel 30 which normally closes an opening or vent 3| provided in the bottom of chamber I. The panel 30 is laterally slidable in guide rails 30a, 30?) (Fig, 1) fixed to the underside of chamber I.

The chamber I also contains a jet tube 32 adapted to receive treatment fluid e. g. superheated vapor, from a conduit 33 which may be selectively closed by means of a valve 34. Valve 34 has been shown connected for automatic actuation to a valve control circuit 53 which in turn is controlled via a lead 54 from clutch control circuit 49 and via a lead 55 from a thermostat 55 positioned inside the chamber. This arrangement operates in such manner that upon reclosure of the opening 3| by the panel 30 the valve 34 is temporarily, for instance, by means of time delay relay (not shown), opened as soon as a predetermined temperature in chamber I is reached to which the thermostat 56 is set.

Valve 34 may also be temporarily opened in the aforesaid manner by means of a suitable connection (not shown), as soon as the fabric material starts to move again through chamber I or when the shutter means are being closed and under the condition that the temperature prevailing in chamber I has passed a critical minimum which is above the boiling point of the impregnating agent contained in the fabric material.

The open position of valve 34 for the admission of superheated steam or of saturated steam which is capable of being transformed to a superheated steam within the chamber is continued due to the function of a timer or time delay relay, as aforesaid, so that the remainder of the air in accesses the chamber may be more rapidly pushed out of the latter.

The superheated steam as it has been more clearly set forth in co-pending U. S. patent application No. 66,159, filed December 21, 1948, acts as the drying or like treatment fluid in the air free chamber in such a way that during the travel of the is 2 ma erial through the chamber the moisture of or impregnating liquid eontained in the material is rapidly transformed into vapor. This is accomplished through partial condensation of the superheated steam which impinges under high velo ity (when discharged through outlet means is) upon the fabric material 6 introd= -ed at into the chamber, whereby the aforesaid condensation cause the liberation of calories sufficient to raise the temper ture the impregnating liquid or agent to its zling point.

'lh-us, through rapi; of the impregnating liquid to its boiling point the moisture of the fabric material is removed by expansion substantially instantaneously and not by less speedy capillary action. Vapors emanating from the impregnating liquid can be further used recirculated in the ensuing drying and iii); treatment process together with said superheated steam.

After the superheated steam and/or vapor replaces again the air in the chamber, the supply of such steam through conduit is automatically shut off by the timer shown) which closes valve 34.

The displacement of the sleeves l5, on the threaded spindles I? and i8 is furthermore regulated by control means or limit switches 35, Eta which upon contact of the arms 55, lbs with their abutments or fingers 36, 36a stop inward movement of the shutters, and by limit switches 31, 31a which upon contact of these arms with their fingers 38, interrupt the outward movement of the shutters. The ope-ration of such limit switches is well known and has been omitted for the sake of clarity 0; the drawings.

The operation of the machine described above is as follows:

During normal functioning, the shutters i 6' and H are laterally withdrawn (in a plane substantially parallel to that of the fabric, but in a direction transverse to that of the travel of the fabric) into slots free communication between the nozzles 4 and the fabric it so as to enable a drying fluid, such as superheated vapor, to freely impinge upon the surface of the fabric. The panel 39 obstructs the opening thereby hermetically closing the bottom of chamber I.

If the movement of the fabric is stopped, for example for the purpose to maize adjustments on a printing machine connected to the drying machine, any prolonged exposure of a given portion of fabric to the action of the blowing nozzles would be liable to damage the fabric. In order to overcome this effect, the clutches 26, 2611 are actuated in the manner described above to rotate the spindles ll, it in such directions as to displace the sleeves it and its toward each other,

thereby placing the shutters it and ii in their operative position as illustrated in Fig. 2.

As will be seen in Fig. 2, the upper chamber portion containing the nozzles i, the box 2 and the blower 3 is completely separated from the lower chamber portion which contains the fabric 6 and the guide rollers 93. As a result, the fabric 6 is cut off from the action or the drying fluid a relatively low temperature l e of the temperature il, ila, thereby establishing discharged by the: orifices of the nozzles 45 and. also of the fluid present in the atmosphere of the upper chamber portion. It. will also be noted-l that the presence of fixed partitions l3, l3a as well as l4, l-ia reduces the necessary dimensions and length of travel of the movable shutters. The movement of the shutters toward each other is stopped by the limit switches 35,, 35a as described above.

Although. the fabric 6 has thus been removed from the direct action of fluid discharging nozzles 4 by the closure of the shutters it and H, it would still remain surrounded by the hot atmosphere preva g in the lower portion of chamber l, fact that might prove detrimental to the finished product, were it not for the action of spindle 29 which is rotated through pulleys 21 and 2.8 from spindle 18 which is associated with shutter l l. Spindle :29 rotates in such sense as to cause withdrawal of the venting means or panel as from th opening 3|, this opening being sufliciently large to effectuate virtually the instantaneous evacuation of the superheated vapor from the lower portion of chamber I so that any "i overheating of the fabric wil be avoided.

When the movement of fabric is resumed, by restoring switch 51? to the position shown, control circuit it reverses the direction of rotation of spindles ii and It to effect the lateral withdrawal of the shutters It and H. This cutward movement of the shutters is stopped by the operation of limit switches 3i and 3%, as previously set forth. The simultaneous rotation of spindle 23 realigns the panel 38 with the open ing 3?.

The machine is new again ready to function normally. in order to drive out e. g. by way of slots "i, E; the air previously admitted into the chamber 5 through the opening 3i and to replace the portion of the drying fluid that has escaped through this opening, the valve lid is temporarily opened, preferably automatically by means of the control arrangement shown, so as to admit superheated steam into the chamber l by way of the jet tube 32.

Itshould be noted that the interposition of the shutters ill and II to remove the fabric ii from the action of the drying fluid does not affect the operation of the blower 3 which continues to rotate, this continuity of iu -ctioning allowing the interruption and resumption of treatment to be carried out with a minimum loss of time. In order to reduce to a minimum the inertia of the system, it is advantageous to make the clutches 23, Eta of the magnetic type described in coending application Ser. No. 150,975, filed March 21, 1950.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the blocking means for temporarily removing the treated fabric from the action of the circulating fluid comprises a band or strip which is flexible and impermeable to the treatment fluid; This strip 3:? may be unwound from a drum 4% by means of a tai e-up drum ii placed adjacent the opposite end of the machine, whereby the which are flxed to the drum 4|;

extremities of when the strip 39 is rewound upon the drum 4!),

these cables extend in its place across the machine so as to reestablish communication between the nozzles 4 and the fabric 6.

In the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6 there are provided individual shutter means for each nozzle 4, shown as pairs of rods 4 44a slidably lodged in the end walls of the nozzle assembly. These rods may be moved inwardly into contact with one another, as shown in solid and broken lines in Fig. 5, or may be withdrawn as indicated in dot-dash lines. Bars 45, 65a, common and connected to all the rods M, Ma, respectively, serve for the simultaneous displacement of all the shutter rods.

In the modification of Fig. 7 blower 3 is provided with a shutter in the form of a pivoted flap or damper 46. This damper normally ob structs an opening 51, forming a bypass for the circulating fluid, which is uncovered when the damper is rotated into its alternative position, shown in dotted lines at 46, to block the admission of fluid to the box 2.

It is to be understood that the embodiments described hereinabove and shown in the drawings have been given merely by way of illustra tion and not limitation, and that the shape, character, positioning and mounting of the various elements may be modified in numerous ways without for this reason exceeding the scope of the invention. Thus, it will be understood that the displacement of the shutters i3 and ii and of the panel 38 may be independent from one another, that different means may be used to control such displacement, or that plates rather than rods may be used to obstruct the nozzles in the arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Also, the principles of the invention are applicable to machines other than driers. The discharge opening 3! may communicate with a space other than the outer atmosphere, such as, for example, a condenser, and control of the shutter, venting and fluid admission means in dependence upon the feeding movement and fluid contents of the chamber may be affected by means other than those specifically illustrated.

While the invention has been shown and described in several embodiments, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letiers Patent, is:

1. In a drying apparatus equipped with a treatment chamber for lengthy sheet, web and like material; a plurality of nozzle means provided with discharge orifices for treatment fluid directed against said material, exhaust channel means disposed between each two adjacent noz zle means, guide means arranged to space said material a predetermined distance from and move same past said nozzle means and said exhaust means, shutter means disposed for movement above said material and adjacent said nozzle means, means located adjacent said exhaust channel means for operating said shutter means to closing position between said material and said nozzle means and to retracted position away from said material, and means for opening and closing said chamber at a location below said material. 7

2. In a treatment apparatus for sheet and like lengthy web material: a plurality of nozzle means having orifices for the discharge of jets of treatment fluid against spaced areas of said material, exhaust channels intermediate adjacent nozzle means for evacuating spent fluid from said material, means for guiding said material past said nozzle means and said exhaust channels, shutter means extending substantially parallel to and spaced from the plane of movement of said material and slidably operable to closing position between the latter and said nozzle orifices to tightly obstruct the jets of fluid therefrom against said material, and means accommodated in said exhaust channels for guiding and supporting said shutter means during sliding movement thereof to said closing position and from the latter to retracted position, said shutter means being positioned remote from and clearing said nozzle orifices thereof in said retracted position.

3. An apparatus for treating sheet, web and like lengthy material in open width comprising in combination, nozzle means having orifices adapted to discharge treatment fluid against said material, exhaust channel means intermediate adjacent nozzle means for evacuating spent treatment fluid, guide means for moving said material along a predetermined path opposite said orifices for impingement of said treatment fluid on said material, shutter means disposed to slidably move in a plane substantially parallel to that of said material and in a direction substantially transverse to said predetermined path to thereby obstruct said orifices and prevent said material from further fluid impingement, and means responsive to stoppage and movement of said material and for actuating said shutter means in said transverse direction for obstructing and opening said orifices, respectively.

4. In a machine for the treatment of an elongated product by impingement of a treatment fluid upon the surface or said product; the combination of a chamber in which an atmosphere of fluid of super-atmospheric pressure prevails, with discharge means for said fluid against said product, guide means for said product and positioned below said discharge means, fluid blocking means adapted to be slidably moved in a plane substantially parallel to said product to retracted and to side-by-side positions, respectively, whereby in the latter position said blocking means are interposed between said discharge means and said guide means and are disposed remote from said discharge means and said product in said retracted position, exhaust channels, said discharge means comprising a set of nozzles separated by said exhaust channels, and control means fOr operating said fluid blocking means and disposed in certain of said exhaust channels.

5. In a machine for the treatment of an elongated fibrous product by impingement of a treatment fluid upon the surface thereof; the combination of a treatment chamber, discharge means for said fluid in said chamber, guide means for said product in said chamber, with movable fluid blocking means adapted to be interposed between said discharge means and said guide means, and vent means operable simultaneously with said fluid blocking means, said fluid blocking means being operable to divide said chamber into a first portion containing said discharge means and into a second portion containing said guide means, said vent means being operable to open a passage for the evacuation of treatment fluid from said second chamber portion.

6. The combination according to claim 5, in- Cluding d i sion means operable following the operation of said vent means to compensate for fluid removed from said chamber through said vent means.

7. The combination according to claim 6, including control means for said fluid admission means, said control means being sensitive to the proportion of treatment fluid contained in said chamber.

8. The combination according to claim 5, including feed means for moving said product through said chamber, and control means responsive to interruption of movement of said product and operating said fluid blocking means and said vent means.

9. In a machine for the treatment of an elongated fibrous product by impingement of a treatment fluid upon the surface thereof; the combination, with a treatment chamber, discharge means for said fluid arranged within said chamber, first guide means located within said chamber and adapted to guide said product during movement of the latter through said chamber, of displaceable fluid blocking means arranged to be moved in a plane substantially parallel to that of said product and in transverse direction of the latter, said blocking means being positioned above said first guide means and being adapted J ULIEN DUNGLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 161,156 Register Mar. 23, 1875 300,118 Parker June 10, 1884 1,802,407 Danninger et al. Apr. 28, 1931 2,141,403 Ofien Dec. 27, 1938 2,188,401 Crowley Jan. 30, 1940 2,268,987 Hess et al. Jan. 6, 1942 2,268,988 Hess et al. Jan. 6, 1942 2,499,572 Dunakin et a1 Mar. 7, 1950 

